Winter Blossoms
Note: <> means in English
11 March, 34
Dear Diary,
Today was my first day as a transport pilot for MegaTokyo's ADP. Someday I hope to fly some combat birds or at least a VS-710 Dropper. Till then, I'm a pilot that knows how to use anything with a trigger.
I don't know why my Chief Mitchell sent me to MegaTokyo. He knows that I speak very little Japanese. (What I do know, I learned from Anime videos!)I actually took a crash corse in the language, but I didn't do very well in it. (I learned the important words: up, down, over there, fast, slow and of course bathroom.) This is probably why my day went so bad. It started out with me greeting the chief of the AD Police (who looks like a past president from the US)...
The young woman stood with her hands clasped behind her and head bowed. Her blond streaked brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and didn't cover her reddening cheeks. Tears threatened to overflow from dark, brown eyes. She had just told the chief "Good refrigerate, Sir."
Chief scowled. "I believe the phrase you want is 'Good day, Sir.' Correct?" The woman just nodded. She had just embarrassed herself enough for on day. Besides, her standard pilot's boots were very interesting.
The lady was saved from any more humiliation by a young man storming into the office. He was followed by another man that entered a little more sedately. The first man had thick brown hair that fell to the top of his shoulder blades and dark eyes. He dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt with a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up. The second man had fiery red hair that reached the nape of his neck. He dressed a little more professionally but still comfortable. Slacks, a button down shirt with the top one undone, a bolo around his neck and a jacket made up his outfit. The woman stepped to the side to let them past her.
"What the hell is the matter with you?! You sent my unit into combat with bad information! Now over three quarters of them are either dead or so badly injured that they will never be able to fight again unless they become Boomeroids!"
"Ahem... Inspectors Leon McNichol, Daley Wong; I would like you to meet our new transport pilot, Ashley Storm. She just transferred here from America."
Ashley shyly smiled waved with her fingers. "Hello."
"Hi!" Leon turned back to the Chief.
Ashley tuned him out and turned her attention back to her boots. He was going too fast for her to understand what he was saying anyway. She felt a tug on the sleeve of her oversized, men's, flight suit and looked up. Daley was pointing toward the door and motioning her to come with him. She grinned and followed him.
Once they were out of the office, Ashley turned to the inspector. "<Thank you for getting me out of there.>" She realized why Daley looked confused and repeated her statement; this time in bad Japanese.
Daley smiled. Slowly he said, "<You won't be able to talk to the chief with Leon in there, so why stay.>" He shrugged.
"<Thank you , Inspector,>" said Ashley, happy to switch her native English.
"Daley."
"<What?>"
The inspector chuckled and said, "<I go by Daley, not by rank. So does Leon.>"
"<Ash is what I go by. A shortened version of my name and what is left after I finish a Boomer.>"
Daley raised an eyebrow. "<Then you should get along fine with Leon-Chan.>"
" 'Chan'?" Ash asked. Then she noticed the earring in the left ear. The blush was deeper than in the office. "<Oh... Uh... Are you and Leon...Uh...>"
"<Partners only in work. He's the flirt of the ADP. With women.>" Daley smiled at the sigh of relief that came from the young pilot. "<So do you know where everything is, like the heliport and places like that>?"
"<I got lost trying to find the Chiefs' office,>" admitted Ash shyly. "<The headquarters in the US is only two stories high.>"
"<Then let me show you around,>" said Daley. He motioned toward the office that they had just vacated. "<They won't be done 'till we get back and pull them apart.>"
12 March
Today I made a new friend. Actually, two. The first was a really nice girl that knew some English. We were going to have lunch together, but some things came up. First it was Leon coming over to bribe my new friend. (She accepted a coupon for a buy-one-get-one-free sundae at a nearby ice cream shop.) Secondly, I was called to transport some suits to a unit doing maneuvers in a nearby field. As for the second friend; well...
Ash was sitting alone in a corner debating on weather or not to eat what she ordered when the girl came over. She looked extremely young with red hair and wide green eyes. She wore a uniform of an ADP operator and held a tray with coffee, a sandwich and a piece of cake.
"<Do you mind if I join you?>"
Ash grinned. "<Not at all. Then maybe you can tell me what I ordered>."
"<Last week's special,>" the girl giggled. "<My name is Nene.>"
"<Ash. Shorten version of Ashley.>"
"<And what's left of a Boomer after your done with it. Daley told me.>" Nene sat down across from the pilot and offered half of her sandwich. Storm gratefully accepted. "<He also told me I would probably find you here or in Leon's rec room.>"
" <'Leon's rec room'?>"
"<Yeah. The shooting range. Leon spends a lot of time there. Especially when he's angry or frustrated,>" explained Nene.
"<So, why you looking for me?>" asked Ash.
"<Well I need some help on my English. Daley told me that you might... Um ... Well...>"
"<Want help on Japanese?>"
Nene blushed. "<Well, yes.>"
"<Now, why would he think that?>" Ash muttered, looking down at the plate she had ordered.
"<I thought that maybe we could help each other,>" said Nene.
Ash smiled and said, "<I like that.>"
Just then, Leon and Daley walked up. Leon looked like trouble personified. He held a fistful of pictures and a big cheerful (albeit goofy) smile. Daley just looked worried.
"Nene-chan!"
Nene scowled and braced herself. "What do you want, Leon?"
"This is the Boomer that tore up my unit yesterday," Leon said, dropping the pictures on the table. "I can't find it in the ADP's files. I was hoping that you could take a look."
Ash picked up one of the pictures. It resembled a Battlemover DD in a bestial sort of way. It had a body like that of a cat and as such, walked on all fours. Instead of having one tail, this Boomer had several Ribbon Cutters. Its skin was a metallic gray and was reflecting a good amount of ammo. In the photo Ash held, two missals were being fired from a pair of shoulder mounted launchers. The mouth/ head laser was likewise firing. At the same time, it was doing a good impression of a cat with a cheap toy mouse. Except that the "mouse" was an armored ADP troop transport.
"Not average Boomer, is it?" Ash asked rhetorically.
Leon looked at the pilot as if seeing her for the first time. Ash held out her hand. "Ash Storm. Good to finally meet in person."
Leon took her hand and frowned. "You're the new transport pilot. From America."
"Oh, you do remember," said Ash, feigning shock. "I didn't think you saw me."
Leon blushed as Nene and Daley laughed. In a failed attempt to regain his composure, Leon turned to the red head. He waited a few seconds for her to stifle her giggling.
"Do you think you can find anything on this new Boomer, Nene?"
"Well... maybe. I'm not sure."
This time, it was Ash's turn to laugh as Leon pulled out a coupon for a buy-one-get-one-free sundae at a new ice cream shop. Nene looked at it to make sure that it was still good before she said anything.
"You know, it just so happens that I do have a bit of information on it," she said, after pocketing the paper. She stood up and picked up the cake. "Now, if you come with me, I'll show you it."
Nene turned to Ash. "<I'm sorry about lunch. Maybe we could try this again tomorrow?>"
"<Sure. No problem,>" said Ash as she stood. "<I have to fly some equipment to a unit doing maneuvers outside the city.>"
"< I'll meet you here tomorrow, then. Good-bye!>
"Bye!"
22 March
Today, Americans celebrated Easter. I, for one, believe it to be a holiday honoring the wonderful invention of chocolate. I had decided to surprise Nene and give her an Easter basket at work. At 22, I can't help but to think of her as my 19 year old kid sister. I even sent to America for some egg dye! I had put a ton of jelly beans in the basket and everytime someone would pass her desk, they would steal one. Nene yelled at anyone she caught doing this. The commotion it caused through out the day was enough to get even the Chief to smile...
"Ash, is this another one of your jokes?"
"Nene! I'm hurt." Ash set the paper bag down on Nene's desk. "I swear to you that it will not hurt you. Well, maybe a bit."
Daley had wondered up to see what all the commotion was. "Come on, Nene. Open it. I have to find Leon before he sends a squad looking for me."
"All right, all right already. Sheesh." Nene ripped off the stapled top of the paper bag and pulled out a pink basket overflowing with candy. The center piece was a huge chocolate rabbit. Surrounding it were four colored eggs; blue with white stripes, red, blue, and green. Jelly beans and other candy filled in the remaining space. The whole thing had been wrapped in pink plastic wrap and tied with a big blue bow.
"Everybody, run! Evacuate the building! Nene has candy!"
The group that had gathered to see what was so important quickly dispersed. The guy that had yelled the warning jumped behind a nearby desk and was peeking over the top of it. Only Ash, Daley and Nene remained.
"Come over here and say that, Macloud!" Nene yelled at the guy behind the desk.
The guy shook his head and ducked under the desk. Everyone else was peeking out from various hiding places. Finally, the Chief poked his head out of his office to find out why it had become so quiet.
"What is going on out here?" he asked, somewhat taken back by the silence.
Ash spoke up, "I was just gave Nene a taste of America and everyone freaked out."
"Just what was this 'taste of America'?" the Chief asked, taking one step out of the office.
"A basket full of candy!" yelled Nene, rather shrilly.
Ash turned to see her friend eating the ears of the rabbit. She was holding the chocolate with both hand and trembling from head to toe. A wild look had appeared in her eyes and a strange smile was creeping over her face. Suddenly, Nene broke into hysterical laughter.
Ash imaged both her and Daley doing a face fault. "Daley? Didn't you say you were looking for Leon?" Daley nodded, never taking his eyes off the hysterical girl in front of him. " I'll help you look for him, 'kay?"
Ash didn't wait for his answer as she grabbed Daley's arm and pulled him to the elevators. As the doors slid close, the sound of fervent giggling reached a crescendo.
"I don't think I want to know what's she like when she drunk!" Ash exclaimed.
Later that day, Leon passed Nene eating lunch (alone and with a circle of empty tables surrounding her) and did a double take.
"Um... Nene?"
The girl in question looked up and Leon saw a glazed look in her eyes. "Yes?"
"Is that egg you're eating... green?"
Nene looked at the object in her hand and giggled. Leon took a step back. "Yes. Ash gave it to me. She said it was something they do in America for some holiday."
"Oh." Leon decided to have lunch at his desk that day. It would probably be safer.
13 April
What a day! Ever since I got here, I've heard of these Knight Sabers. Four armored women that fight Boomers. Daley tells me that they are just mercenaries, but Leon tells me a different story. While they do take paying jobs, Leon says that they have saved the ADP and himself many times. I have hoped to see them in action one day. Today was that day. My first look at them happened in the center of Akihabara, a market place of sorts. They were fantastic! They seemed to fight as one, their moves were so coordinated. I can see why Leon thinks so much of these "mercenaries"...
Daley watched as the CC-1, as the new Boomer was called, tore through ADP equipment. He and Leon were behind a smashed patrol car. Leon had called for a retreat after the beast had taken out the three "Fire-Bee" mini-choppers. Nothing the ADP had could stop this Boomer. Nene's information didn't help much. It was downright depressing.
Daley looked up and saw a familiar transport. It had a Japanese good-luck cat with one paw raised, painted on the bottom. He nudged his partner and shouted over the noise of the transport, " That's the Neko. How did Ash get stuck coming out here?" " I asked for her," yelled Leon. "She's modified the Neko to carry a K-11 and a K-12S suit."
Daley looked up in time to see a pair of rockets fired from the underbelly of the transport. They came from the paw of the painted cat. As the same time, two suits dropped out the back. The first opened a parachute, while the other fired a pair of jumpjets. The rockets effectively distracted the CC-1 for the two suits to land safely.
"I see she's made some other modifications. How'd she get it past the Chief?"
"She didn't," shouted Leon over his shoulder as he ran over to the K-12S suit. He got it opened and slipped in. He looked at the K-11. "Is the remote control off?"
"Yes, Sir!" came the youthful reply.
"Good. You stay here with Daley. I need you to get him out of here if anything happens to me." He stepped in front of the kid in the other suit. "You got that?"
"Y...yes, Sir." The kid was getting scared. That was good. If things even started to look bad, the kid would get Daley out of there.
"You are insane," Daley remarked casually, coming up beside the two power suits. He pointed up. "Just about as insane as your friend in a high place."
Leon and the kid looked up and saw the Neko hovering just out of reach for the Boomer to pounce on. As they watched, Ash dodged a pair of rockets and fired a pair back.
"She's trying to wear it down," whispered the kid in awe.
"Well, then I'd best go help her," said Leon, triggering his Jumpjets.
He landed next to the Boomer just after the missiles hit. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Leon was firing away with the arm mounted chainguns. The Boomer turned toward the inspector and did what Boomers do second best: he growled. Then he did what Boomers do best: attempt to rip apart, blow apart or just blow up anything that gets in their way. With one swipe of its alloy armored claw, the Boomer had disarmed the suit and cut the power. A second swipe knocked Leon down on his back and pinned him. The third swipe that would of decapitated him never came.
Something exploded on the back of the beast. Leon looked past the Boomer and saw four armed figures. They were standing on a nearby building. The suits reflected the crescent moon, and the beams highlighted the graceful curves of the females in them. Their obvious leader, the one in white with blue trim, looked down and spoke.
"Knight Sabers. Sanjo!"
The four women vaulted into the air and landed in front of the beast. It gave up on using Leon as a scratching post and leaped at them. As they scattered, the white-armored one yelled to Leon, "Get out of here! Without your suit, you will be killed!"
"If I could I would," came the shouted reply. "The suit has me pinned."
"Wonderful." Sylia Stingray, AKA the white Saber switched to helmet commutations. "Priss, Nene; Linna an I will attempt to distract the Boomer. You two need to get the inspector to safety."
"Why do I always have to rescue him?" asked the woman in the blue hard suit as she and the one in red ran to the fallen Leon.
As soon as they were clear, Sylia and Linna, in green, attacked full force. Linna tried to use her Wire Daggers, but they just bounced off the metallic skin. Then Sylia tried at least damage the Boomer with her Laser Swords. She did no better than Linna. Both weapons simply bounced off the Boomer's armor. It retaliated by firing it's head cannon at the two women. Both jumped out of the way, but Linna was a hair too slow. A laser burst hit her in the thigh and she fell. When she hit the ground, the Boomer was ready.
Meanwhile, Priss and Nene were trying to figure out how to get Leon out in one piece. The CC-1 had manage to nearly crush the right leg of the power suit. As it was , Leon's leg was pinned and until he could get his leg out, the only way to get him to safety was to haul him, suit and all.
Priss was getting ready to cut the leg off, suit and flesh, when the three of them heard Linna's cry of pain and Sylia's scream of horror. Finding the point of origin, Priss saw the familiar green suit in the middle of a pool of red. Blood stained the claw of the Boomer.
"Linna!"
A voice from above boomed down, "Knight Sabers! I have a plan, but you'll have to move it. I can't give you much time!"
"Ash?"
Priss turned to the youngest Knight Saber in red. "You know her? Can we trust her?"
Nene nodded. She started to say something when an older K-11 power suit appeared through the dust that the transport had stirred up. The kid flashed a smile at the two women and hulled Leon up, suit and all.
"Get ready to jump on the transport. The pilot is going to fire two smoke bombs and wait for a count of twenty. Then she's going to fire her last two missiles." The kid looked at Leon and said, "Before you start chewing me out, Daley's fine."
Priss relayed the plan to Sylia. By this time, the Boomer had begun to take up defensive positions. It had backed away from Linna and was now crouching like a cornered cat. Priss had a bad feeling about this behavior and looked up in time to see three BU-55C Boomers coming.
"Sylia!"
"I know, Priss. Get ready. I'm coming with Linna."
A roaring sound filled the air. Priss, Nene, and the kid with Leon ran toward the landing transport. Ash fired the two smoke bombs from the side window of the cockpit. The bay door was open and the four people ran aboard. Daley met the kid and tried to help. Priss went straight for the pilot.
"Can you wait until the rest of the Sabers are here?" she asked. "We have an injured member."
"I can't wait too long," replied Ash. "I need to get out of here before those smoke canisters run out."
Priss felt the anger rising in her. She open her mouth to tell this little @#*%! what she could do when she saw a familiar shape emerge from the smoke. Sylia was carrying the injured Linna in both arms. Suddenly she jumped.
"She'll meet us in the air! Let's go!" Priss yelled.
Ash quickly complied. When they were about a meter off the ground, she launched her remaining missals. She didn't wait to find out weather they did any good or not. She got the signal that everyone was on board and punched the afterburners.
14 April
Today was not one of the better mornings to go to work. Nene was depressed, Leon was grumpy and Daley avoiding everyone. I suppose I should of expected this, what with yesterday and all. I only had an afternoon shift but I came in early to fix up the Neko. I also wanted to see how everyone was doing...
Ash walked into the ADP HQ and felt like she had taken a wrong turn and ended up in a mortuary. By now, everyone had heard about the ADP's failure to stop the new Boomer. Not everyone had heard about the Knight Sabers failure. Leon had sworn the kid, Daley and Ash into secrecy aboard the transport. Ash swore everyone, including the Knight Sabers, to secrecy about the hidden weapons and the other major modifications she had made.
Ash stopped off at the detective's quarters to see how Leon and Daley were. She realized too late that this was a bad idea. Leon was in the chair with both feet on the desk. His right leg was in a brace from thigh to ankle. He held a clipboard and was writing furiously. He looked up as she walked up. Daley was nowhere to be seen.
"Yes?"
"<I came to see how you were doing, Leon.>" Ash said, forgetting where was.
"I'll assume you were asking how I am and say fine, " he said. "The doctors say I can get the brace off in a week."
"That's good, isn't it?" Ash asked, tilting her head to the side.
Leon gave her a small, tight smile. "Yeah. The problems is that the doctor said to stay off my feet. So no Boomer chasing nor shooting practice."
"Oh, no! What will become of the range?" Ash nearly yelled, throwing her head back with her arm across her eyes and arching her back. She opened one eye and looked at Leon.
"Daley's right," he laughed. "You are a ham! Guess you'll have to take care of it."
"Oh, good." Ash smiled wickedly. "I've been wanting to get the place painted. I think a coat of pink would look nice, don't you?"
The last thing Ash saw as she turned to leave was Leon's horrified expression.
Ash finished fixing up the Neko and headed up to the cafeteria to grab an early lunch. She stopped by operations, to see if Nene wanted to have lunch with her. The girl looked for all the world like she had lost her best friend. She literally growled at a coworker that stopped to find out what was wrong. Ash decided to skip this lunch time lesson.
She sat down at a table and filled her Cup-O-Noodles with hot water. After that day with the leftovers, Ash had brought her lunch and bought a drink (and a dessert if she had the money). Of course, soup everyday wasn't all that appealing either. This could be classified as a lose-lose situation.
"Sigh."
"You weren't with the Neko, so I figured you'd be here or the shooting range."
Ash looked up. "Hi, Daley. What's up?" She gestured to the seat across from her.
"I take it Leon didn't tell you," Daley said sitting down. Ash shook her head. "That Boomer got away. That white Saber told us that she had seen the three Bu-55C Boomers transporting it away."
"What!?"
"The CC-1 Is still on the loose." Daley looked down at his hands. "I'm afraid that Leon is going to take it personally and make hunting it down an obsession."
Ash sat there in a stunned silence. This had never happened before in ADP history. A boomer being rescued by other boomers simply did not happen.
"I have the feeling that I should secure a few more missiles for the Neko then I have now."
Meanwhile...
Raven's Garage was situated in-between the factories of Timex City. This was the temporary home for the two Knight Sabers not working. This was also the temporary hospital for the injured Linna and her damaged suit.
Linna was laying on a cot in the back room of the garage. Dr. "Pops" Raven was finishing wrapping the bandages on her torso when Sylia came in with Priss.
"How is she?" asked Sylia sitting down on the edge of the cot.
"She'll live, so don't go mourning her yet," replied Raven with a sparkle in his eye. "You jinxed these girls, Sylia. They just refuse to die."
Sylia smiled and even chuckled when Priss protested. "We're not girls! Pops!"
"Don't call me Pops!"
"How's a lady supposed to sleep with all this yelling?" asked a weak voice.
Sylia looked down and caught Linna's hand in her own. "How do you feel."
"Terrible." Linna looked up at Raven and said, "I guess this means no aerobics for a while, right?"
"No activity of any kind for you, young lady."
Priss spoke up from the foot of the bed. "Oh, sure. She's a lady and the rest of us are girls, huh?"
Sylia stood and stopped the friendly verbal fight. "Let's let Linna get some sleep in peace, shall we?" She ushered Raven and Priss out the door and turned to her injured friend. "I'll try to keep them quiet so you can sleep, but don't count on it. You know how these two can be. Plus, Mackie is here. He'll fix your hardsuit."
Linna smiled. "Thanks Sylia. Before you go, could you tell me what happened to the Boomer?" Her voice had more then a twinge of hope to it.
"I'm sorry, Linna. It got away. Three other Boomer got it."
"Oh. Well, we'll get it next time, right?"
Sylia only partially succeeded in smiling. "Yes," she almost whispered a Linna's eyes closed. "Yes, next time."
25 April
Today was kind of a strange day for me. I guess I made it a strange day for Nene too. I told her something that I have only told one other person, who is now dead. My friend is the only living person to know it. I don't even know why I told her. We were just talking and I was thinking. I had done a lot of this since the CC-1 attacked...
"Nene? When do you want to die?
"What?!" Nene was shocked to have her carefree friend ask her this. It was true that Ash had been moody the last week and a half, but 'when do you want to die'?
Ash had been staring out the window of a ground floor restaurant when she asked. Nene looked out and saw nothing but a grove of cherry trees in bloom. Still wondering about the mental health of her eating companion, she turned back to her plate.
"I don't know. I guess when I'm too old to do the things I like doing," Nene replied. * Like hacking. No chance of becoming that old. Not with my other job! * "Why?"
"I want to die when there are cherry blossoms on the trees. Then the last thing I see on this world would be something beautiful."
Ash turned her attention back to Nene and saw a peculiar expression on her face. Ash just laughed and said, "I'm not going crazy. Not yet at least."
Nene tried to smile. It was probably the one time that she couldn't come up with a genuine one.
First Leon, now Ash. Who was next? Linna?
19 May
Today was my day off, so I decided to finally move into my apartment. Up till now, I have been living out of boxes. Daley tells me that Leon has been living like this for as long as they've known each other. I couldn't stand it any more. I got a surprise visit from Nene and a friend of hers. They offered to help me unpack, help for which I was grateful for. At the end of the day, my new home looked at least livable. To thank them I took them to an all-you-can-eat place that I had found recently.
Still no sign of the CC-1. Daley was right; Leon is taking it personally. He had Nene get every possible scrap of information on it. When he got his cast off all it seemed to do was fuel his desire to find it and rip to shreds. Daley is getting worried and ...well, so am I...
Ash surveyed the job before her and almost cried. She had box upon box of her stuff stacked all over the place. While some of it was marked, most were not. A small sigh escaped her. It was going to be a long, boring day.
Just as she started to open a box, there was a knock on the door. When she opened it, Ash found Nene standing there with a big smile on her face. Behind her was a taller woman dressed casually in a sweatshirt and blue jeans. Her dark hair was held back with a yellow headband.
"Good morning, Ash!" Nene nearly yelled. "I stopped by to introduce you to a friend of mine, Linna, so you could you could have a social life outside of the ADP."
"Come on in," said Ash, stepping behind the door.
"Did we come at a bad time for you?" asked Nene's friend, looking at the boxes.
"Naw. I didn't really want to this, but I guess since I have guests, I won't be able to any way. Shucks!"
"Oh, no. We can help, right Nene?"
Nene just shrugged. "If you want the help, Ash, Linna and I are here for you."
"Thanks. I could use the help."
Linna looked around. "Where do we start?"
"Good question," Ash said. "I was just asking myself that very question. Unfortunately, my answer was to get another cup of coffee."
Linna laughed and said, "That doesn't sound like a very good plan, but a tasteful one."
Ash took the hint and went into the kitchen and brought out two cups of hot tea. "Sorry about this, but I can't find my coffee filters. I bought mine at the coffee shop around the corner."
Nene and Linna accepted the drinks and the three women sat down and started unpacking. They divided the room into several sections. By the end of two hours, there were sections for the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and the living room. They started with the kitchen and moved around the apartment. By the end of the day, the house looked lived in by humans. Ash had collapsed into the newly uncovered recliner while Nene and Linna slumped on the sofa.
"I know that I'm supposed to make you a dinner to show my appreciation," Ash started, "but how about I take you both to this all-you-can-eat place just down the street?"
The other two women agreed that it sounded like a plan. It just took them a few more hours to stand up and walk to the restaurant.
23 May
Nene said a friend of hers is playing at a night club called the 'Hot Legs". She wanted me to go with her tomorrow night. This sounded like fun, so I said yes. I figured I would need something to wear, so I went digging into my closet. I found the perfect dress. If nothing else it would be easy to clean: mix soap and water and dunk in a martini glass. Most of the chest was made with netting as were the sides from the under the arms to the hip. The rest was black leather. I bought it on a shopping spree without thinking about when I would wear it. Anyway, when I tried it on, I found that I needed to do a little shopping. Nene suggested a place called the 'Silky Doll' ...
"Hello. May I help you?" the polite voice asked.
"<Uh... yeah...uh... well...>" Ash stopped before she said anything to make her sound more stupid. She took out her dress and held it up for the other woman to see.
"Ah. I see. You need something for underneath and you have never bought lingerie before. Correct?
Ash blushed. "That's the story, all right. I'm a cotton briefs and sports top type of gal. Nene said you could help me."
"Nene?" the woman paused and then said, "Then you must be Ashley 'Ash' Storm, the transport pilot from America." Ash nodded. "Nene talks about you all the time! I'm Syila Stingray."
"The Stingray?! It was your father that invented the..." she let the sentence unfinished. She grinned. "Nene tells me a lot about you. She must of forgotten to tell me that you own this shop."
"Nene is like that sometimes. Let us find something for that dress and the afterwards, perhaps you would like a cup of tea?"
"That would be great. Then I can see how much of what Nene tells is true."
A half hour later, Ash was seated on an extremely soft sofa looking at a picture of a young Syila with a man that resembled her a bit. Sylia had her arms around the man and was grinning in a way only a young, innocent girl could. The pride in her eyes could only be for her father.
"I was twelve when he was killed," Syila said pouring hot the hot liquid into a teacup. "I don't think Mackie remembers him."
"Mackie?"
"Yes. My brother," Syila sat down in the chair across from the sofa. "He was working the counter."
"Isn't that kind of hard for him, working in a lingerie shop, I mean?" Ash asked sipping her tea.
Sylia smiled and even giggled a bit. "I'm sure it is, but I think it's good practice for him."
"Nene never mentioned how cruel you could be," laughed Ash, after setting down the expensive cup.
"He only works when he home from Germany. So tell me. How did you get stuck being a transport pilot for the ADP?" asked Syila. "Nene said you have trouble with the language."
"I have no idea. My chief in America just up and told me I was being transferred here." Ash thought for a moment. "I do like it here though. Where I come from, cherry blossoms are what we see on the halo-vid."
"They are a spot of beauty in an ugly city," said Syila.
"Ugly?" As far as Ash was concerned, MegaTokyo was pretty nice. It was a lot better then some of the places she had been.
"Ugly only because of Genom."
* Genom makes Boomers. Didn't her father invent boomers? * Ash thought, confused. It showed on her face and Syila smiled.
"My father built the first Boomer at Wiz Laboratories. He was later murdered and the lab was burnt to the ground. Then Genom started to build them. I believe you know Linna Yamazaki? Her parents were killed in a 'Boomer rampage'. That's what Genom says. Just like they say the death of my father and the burning of the lab were 'accidents'." Syila glared at the cup she held, daring it to challenge her.
For some reason an image of the white armored Knight Saber flashed in Ashley's mind. * What if...* she dismissed the thought instantly. * Get real Ash. Nice ladies who sell lingerie do not go around in high-tech armor and blow up rampaging Boomers. * A pause. * Do they? *
"<Gee...I fit right in around here>",sighed Ash.
"What do you mean?" ask Sylia.
"Oh..." , Ash stuttered, forgetting for the moment that her tea drinking companion understood English. "Well my parents were also killed in a so-called Boomer rampage. My childhood home was also destroyed at the time. All that I had left were my two kittens, Remy and Rouge. I went to live with my aunt and stayed there till I came to MegaTokyo. And that is my life story."
" Is that why you call your transport the Neko? Because of your cats?"
"Kind of. I love any kind of cat. Large or small. I want to get another one, since I had to leave those two at home, but with my job... well, I don't know if I'll come home every night."
"I understand." Sylia said. * Probably more so. * "So where are you and that dress going, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Nene is taking me to see one of her friends perform. Maybe you've heard of them, 'Priss and the Replicants'? They're playing at a club called the 'Hot Legs'."
"Oh, yes. I hear they are quite good."
24 May
Quite good, my foot! They were fantastic! The lead singer is Priss, Nene's friend. On stage, she is blond and sings like a dark angel. Off stage, she is a brunette and is just as casual as I would like to be. I found out that Priss knows Sylia and Linna.(In my home town, everyone knows everyone. But home also consist of maybe fifty thousand people. Not fifty million like MegaTokyo!) Priss is an interesting lady. I get the feeling that she has felt more pain then any one person should have to bare and has many dark secrets...
"Priss! You were fantastic!"
"Thank you, Nene. I don't know if that was a compliment with as many times you tell me that, though."
"Humph. Priss, I'd like you to meet my friend from America, Ashley Storm."
"Just call me Ash."
The three of them were just outside the hall leading to the dressing rooms. Priss was still in her stage costume and Nene was dressed in her ADP uniform. Ash on the other hand, had come out of her baggy clothes 'shell' and shone in her skin tight outfit. She wore a silver arm band and black gloves with the fingers cut off. Her hair, usually in a braid, flowed freely down her back. Make-up accented her dark eyes and small mouth.
Many men noticed this new and improved Ash. One in particular. He had drank about three too many and could hardly stand up much less hit on a pretty girl. He stumbled over to the three women and put a grubby hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Hey, Priss >hic<, you wanna >hic< dance?"
Ash gently took the hand off of her shoulder and held it. " I'm sure that if I were her, this would be her reaction..." Ash gripped the guy's left hand in her right, and yanked him so that they were face-to-face. She snatched his other hand with her left and brought her knee up between his legs, hard. When the drunk dropped to his knees, Ash reached behind his head and jabbed a spot on his neck. The man dropped to the floor, totally unconscious.
Priss looked surprised, an expression rarely seen on her face. "How did you do that?"
Ash smiled and said, "If I told you, I would have to kill you. It's a trade secret."
"You mean pilots do stuff like that?" Nene asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"No," Ash laughed. "A lifeguard secret. I was a 'guard for several years before I became a pilot. I learned lots of things like that. The blond streaks in my hair are from that time."
"Wow. And to think I thought Priss was vicious!" Nene said, looking at the man on the floor.
Priss and Ash laughed as they walked over to the bar with Nene in tow.
June 6
June is my favorite month of the year. In school, it meant that we were getting out for three months. Now it means that it will finally get warmer. In the short three months that I have been here, I think the sun has come out four times that I can remember. (It could be the smog that's a constant around here...) Nene assures me that it does get warmer.
Leon disappeared today. Nobody could find him much less get a hold of him. Daley says this happen every year. Today was the anniversary of his last partners death. I guess Leon took it rather hard. He must of meant a lot to Leon...
"Hey, Daley! Where's Leon?"
Daley looked up from the filing cabinet and considered the question. "What's today's date?"
Ash looked at her watch. "The sixth. Why?"
Daley went back to his filing. "Leon always disappears on the sixth of June. It's the anniversary of his last partners death."
"Oh. Where does he go?"
"No one knows," replied Daley as he closed the drawer.
Leon placed the rose on the ground, but stayed kneeling. The red rose had a .45 bullet tied to it. The flower itself seemed out of place in the rubble of the crumbling wall behind it and the trash that littered the area. A cool breeze played with petals and ruffled Leon's hair.
"I miss you, Jeena." Leon took off his wrap around sunglasses and shoved them in his breast pocket. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He brushed it angrily away. "I'm sorry Jeena. I promised I wouldn't ... but I can't keep the tears from coming." Leon closed his eyes and saw it happen all over again.
the experimental Boomer gone ballistic...
Jeena...
the explosion...
watching the blood pool...
"Don't cry...Leon"...
The young man's eyes flew open, ending the visions. He held out his hand and found that it was shaking. He touched his cheek. His fingers came back wet.
"I'm sorry, Jeena," Leon whispered as he stood up and walked away, never looking back.
7 June
Leon was at work today. Daley had told him that I had been looking for him, so he came to the bay to talk. We spent over an hour talking. We might of gone on longer if it hadn't been for that waitress Boomer malfunctioning. I have never had so many problems talking to anyone as I did today, with Leon. It might have been the topic...
"Hey, Ash! You want some help on that oil leak?"
The mechanic was just trying to be friendly. It was his second day and he wanted to make a good impression on the longest lived pilot. Unfortunately, no one had told him about the one rule Ash had: No one, but no one touched the Neko without her permission.
In about twenty seconds, Ash had him face down on the floor with his arms pinned to his back. Her knee was jabbing in the small of his back. Her lips were about half an inch away from his ear.
"Don't ever, ever, touch my transport, " Ash hissed through clenched teeth. "The next time you do, you may not leave the hanger in one piece! Understand?"
"Let him up, Ash."
Ash looked up and smiled. "Leon!"
"Let him up. He's new."
The pilot stood and the mechanic bolted for the door. "And now he won't forget."
Leon just shook his head and sighed. "Daley said you were looking for me yesterday."
"Oh. I just wanted to know if you were hungry. I was going to get lunch from a new fast food place."
"Mmmm. Sorry I missed that."
Ash stood there, wanting to ask the question, but not wanting to sound nosy. Finally, she just blurted out, "What happened to him?"
"Wha...? Who?" Leon asked, totally confused.
The pilot bowed her head and mentally kicked herself. "Your last partner. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"If you know of a place that's private."
Ash glanced at him surprised, then walked over to the Neko and open the bay door. "After you inspector."
"You mean I can actually step aboard Ashley Storm's most prized possession?"
"Don't let word get around. They might think I've gotten soft.
"With Ash in the pilot's seat and the Inspector in the co-pilot's, Leon began his tale.
"Come on, Rookie! Let get a move on it! That new Boomer isn't going to wait for you to tie your shoes! "Jeeenaa! Do you want me to trip when I have to haul you out of trouble because you didn't listen to Dieork?"
"No, I want to be there when the Boomer goes down, though."
Leon grabbed his gun and sprinted with his partner to the waiting ground transport. Once inside and they were on the move, Dieork filled them in on the new series construction Boomer that had gone ballistic. It had already killed the foreman, two humans and injured about twenty others.
"There is to be no solo hunts," he said, looking directly at Jeena and Leon. "Am I clear on that?"
"Yes, Sir!"
The rest of the short trip was spent double checking weapons, outlining battle plans, and for one, tying shoes.
When the got to the construction site, everything was quiet. Most of the people had escaped and given the ADP a wide space in which to work in. The squad split into pairs and went separate ways. Jeena and Leon went into the condemned building next to the site.
Jeena was leading the way through the rubble when a pile shifted. As Jeena brought her weapon to bear, the Boomer rose from the debris. Jeena shot at it on instinct. It dropped into a crumpled heap.
"Jeena?"
"I'm okay, Rookie."
"Initiation of auto self-destruct. 5...4...3..."
"Leon! Get down!"
Jeena tackled her partner, shielding him from the blast. Razor sharp shrapnel flew everywhere. Smoke and dust filled the air. A small crater was all that remained of the Boomer.
"Ow! Did you have to hit me so...Jeena?" Leon rolled her body off of his and saw the blood. "Oh no! Jeena!"
"Hey, Rookie. Look at it this way. I can see Billy and Max again." Jeena smiled weakly.
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"No. But it should give you something to look forward to." Jeena coughed, a trickle of blood running out of the corner of her mouth.
"Jeena." It came out as a whispered plea. Leon, tears streaming down his cheeks, cradled his partner in his arms. Helplessly, he watched as the blood flowed over his arms and pooled around her body.
"Don't cry...Leon. P...promise me that you won't."
"I promise," he whispered, wiping away the tears.
Jeena smiled, closed her eyes and died.
Leon was now facing the back of the transport. A single tear rolled down from glassy eyes. He had his elbows on his knees and head in his hands. He stared into the blank face of a horrible memory.
Ash laid a hand on her friends shoulder. "If it helps, Leon, I think I can understand. My best friend was killed with the rest of my family. He died while luring the Boomer away from me."
Leon looked up, a look of pain and sorrow on his face. "I... I didn't know, Ash."
"Only one other person knows that. In my file, it just says that my parents and sister are deceased. So Nene can't even find out."
The smile was shaky, but a smile none the less. "You don't know Nene."
"What do you say to a burger, since we can't get drunk?"
"Sound good, Ash. Let me..." Leon was interrupted by the alarm and a page for him to report to his unit. "Maybe another time?"
"Sure," said Ash, barely able to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Another time."
25 June
I got a call from Linna this morning asking if I wanted to go shopping with her and Nene. It sounded like fun, and I had the day off, so I said yes. It was indeed fun and full of surprises. I haven't been able to go shopping just for fun in a long time. It was like being in high school again, just hanging out at the mall and shopping. The best part of the day happened near the end...
Ash, Linna and Nene walked down the crowded walk way, trying to look in the windows. It was, at best, a vain attempt. It was like trying to walk on the bottom of the ocean by removing the water.
Ash had taken the lead, grabbing Nene's wrist who in turn gripped Linna's. The crowd was driving a claustrophobic Ash crazy. She lunged through the first open door she saw, yanking the other two girls behind her. Unfortunately, she didn't tell them what she was doing. Linna ran into Nene, and the two of them nearly crashed into Ash, who stepped away just in time.
"May I help you?" asked the somewhat snotty voice.
"Yeah," said Ash, helping Linna and Nene up. "My friends and I were looking for a..." She looked around. "...a dress. For a formal dinner and dance."
"Well then. You have come to the right spot," the man behind the voice said. "We carry only the finest formal wear."
"Great! Let's see what you have in a size 10."
About an hour later, Leon and Daley were walking past the shop when they stopped to watch a magician change a purpled haired woman into a cat. Then he changed himself into a duck. The small crowd clapped and threw money into a hat.
Leon turned to his partner. "Hey, Daley. Do you have change for a..." He stopped when found that no one was listening.
Daley was staring through the window of the dress shop. Leon wandered over and looked at the mannequins. The were dressed in the latest evening wear for women.
"You aren't thinking of buying, are you?" he asked, looking at his partner.
"Actually, I was looking at the two models inside."
Standing in front of the mirrors were two familiar women. The one with short black hair wore a shoulder-less, dark blue, skin tight dress that was that ended at the knees and wrist. The redhead had on a sleeveless, silver dress that started at the neck and ended on the floor. Both were stunningly beautiful.
"Is that redhead...Nene?" asked Leon, his jaw dropping.
"I was going to ask you that," Daley said, somewhere between amused and amazed.
"Let's go in."
The security system beeped as they stepped through the doorway. Linna and Nene turned at the sound. As soon as she saw the two ADP officers, Nene blushed and tried to hide behind her friend. Linna just smirked.
"Hi Leon; Daley," Nene said, shyly.
"Nene! You look ... incredible." Leon turned to the other girl. "Linna, isn't it? Do you work as a model? You should."
"Thank you, Inspector." Linna slightly blushed at the compliment.
"Leon! What are you doing here?!"
Leon turned and was struck silent. He heard his partner gasp. The vision in front of him had to be an angel that had fallen from the heavens. Blond streaked brown hair cascaded past lightly tanned shoulders. A velvet choker was the starting point for a piece of split gossamer that flowed down the back and ended attached to a pair of gold bracelets; one for each wrist. The black velvet was cut to expose just enough skin to make it interesting and highlight the hour glass figure. A slit had been cut a little right of center, to show off long legs.
"A...Ash?" If Leon's jaw could of dropped any further, it would have been on the floor.
"We just saw Nene in here and decided to have some fun." Daley nudged the girl and smiled. Nene looked ready to crawl under a rock. "Gee, Ash. I'm jealous."
Ash smiled mischievously. That just increased Leon raging hormone level. When she sashayed past him, Leon nearly went catatonic.
"I'm glad you approve of the outfit, Daley." She looked at Leon over her shoulder. "I guess you like it, too, the way you're almost drooling."
The giggling and snickering brought Leon out of his daze. He straightened up and said, "You look very nice, Ash."
The pilot gave him a heavy lidded look and said in a husky voice full of sarcasm, "Why, thank you, Inspector."
Daley had to drag/ carry Leon out of the shop. Giggling followed them out the door.
July 4
Today Americans celebrate Independence Day. It took some pleading, begging and a whole lot of yelling, but I got a couple of my friends off of work today. I planed to have a picnic in one of the few parks in MegaTokyo and maybe shoot off some fireworks. The problem was that I didn't know where any of the parks were. Leon promised he would stop by my apartment and would show me the way. This sounded like fun since we would be biking it. I just had one small problem...
"Damn bike! I knew I should of bought something other then a Genom made one!"
"Problems, Ash?"
Leon walked up to the spot were Ash was kicking her bike. He was dressed in jeans and a tank top and was carrying his helmet by the chin strap. He also had an annoying smile plastered on his face.
"Yeah! Genom couldn't make a good piece of machinery if their lives depended on it. My piece of Genom crap has a faulty fuel tank that leaks. And I just had it replaced a week ago!" Ash kicked the bike again for emphasis.
"I have enough room on my bike both of us. You can beat up your bike later," said Leon, taking her elbow and guiding her to his bike which was parked in the visitors lot. Ash grabbed her helmet and let herself be led.
"Nice leathers, by the way," Leon said. Ash was wearing her racing leathers; a one piece, tan outfit that included the thigh high boots but not the sleeves. Instead, she had elbow pads and the fingerless gloves she had worn to the Hot Legs.
"Thanks. I use to race when I was in high school. I actually won the money to pay for it."
"Tell me you don't sing," said Leon, desperately.
"I sing like a crow," Ash said. "Why?"
"I thought Kami-Sama had made two of you."
"Two of who? What are you talking about?" "I was afraid that you and my Singing Sweetheart were long lost sisters, or something."
" 'Singing sweetheart'?" Ash tried to make it sound casual, but didn't quite succeed. Not that Leon noticed or anything. His mind was on someone else entirely.
"Yeah. Priss. I really like her." * I just wish the feeling was a bit more mutual. *
"Oh." Ash put on her helmet and slid behind Leon. A tear trickled down her cheek.
The rest of the day went pretty good. It started out with a game of Frisbee that changed into a game of tackle football. Afterwards they ate and sat around talking. It was at this time that Ash got a chance to talk with Priss.
"You know he likes you, don't you?" she asked.
"Wha...? Who?" asked Priss, confused.
"Leon."
"Oh." Priss thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I know."
"Do you like him?"
Priss took her time in answering. "I fell in love once. He was the leader of our motorcycle gang. One night, we went looking for trouble. Instead, Genom found us. A black car with tinted windows pulled up next to us. In an instant, I lost everything that meant anything to me. The ADP told me that it was an accident."
"So, you've been carrying a grudge against them ever since?" Ash asked in astonishment and feeling a bit insulted.
Priss nodded. "Don't worry. I still like being friends with you and Nene."
"But what about Leon?" Ash persisted.
"He's okay when he's not being a stuck-up jerk."
"Good. I'm glad."
Together, with Nene, Linna, Sylia, Leon, Daley, Naoko, McCloud and Nikki the mechanic, they watched the sun set.
July 18
Today was Nene's birthday. Of coarse we had a party for her at the Hot Legs. Sylia, Linna, Priss, Mackie, Leon, Daley, and I were there. Linna and I had baked a chocolate cake for her and used trick candles. Priss spiked the punch and made sure Nene had a lot of it. This combined with the fact that no one told Sylia not to give Nene candy made a very interesting evening for everyone. Especially Nene...
Sylia parked her replica 1954 Mercedes-Benz in front of the Hot Legs and calmly stepped out. Just before she shut her door, she glanced back in. Nene still sat in the drivers seat staring off at nothing.
"Nene. We're here. Are you coming?'
"What has Ash planed for me?" the red head asked.
"She just said to pick you up and bring you here. That's all I know," said Sylia.
Nene reluctantly got out of the car and followed Sylia to the door. She hesitated when Sylia held the door for her. * I'm doomed. Doomed, doooomed, dooooomed! * she thought as she walked into the club.
"And here she is, ladies and gents... the birthday girl!" Priss yelled into her mike. She was standing on the stage with her band. The audience was facing away from her toward the doors that Nene and Sylia had just stepped through. Right in front was Linna, Mackie, Leon, Daley and Ash. All were grinning like they had just pulled off the biggest heist ever.
The band started to play 'Happy Birthday' and by the end, everyone had joined in. Nene turned bright red and would of bolted if it had not been for Sylia standing right behind her. Priss raised a class in salute to Nene and made a toast to her.
"Nene, you've been my friend for three years. In that time we've laughed, cried, got drunk, and had some over all good times together. I hope it last forever. Here's to you Nene."
At that everyone drained their glasses and rushed to the bar for more. Priss walked off the stage and joined her friends at a table that had been decorated. Mackie walked up to Nene and took her hand.
"Come on, Nene. Ash and Linna made a cake and we all have presents for you," he said leading the stunned girl to the table. "Are you all right? You look kind of pale."
Nene smiled and replied, "Yeah. I'm fine. Just a little surprised."
She sat down at the head of the table with Mackie to her right and Sylia to her left. Leon sat at the other end with Priss to his right and Ash to his left. Linna sat next to Ash and Daley sat in between Priss and Sylia.
In front of her sat a pile of gifts. Behind them was huge chocolate cake. At the end of the table was a bowl of punch that Priss was spiking. Linna was watching her with a look of horror and humor.
"Hey, she's old enough now," Priss whispered as she handed out the glasses that she was now filling.
Mackie was giving Nene the gift the he got for her. "I hope you like it. I didn't know what else to get you."
Nene carefully undid the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. She gasped when she saw what was inside. A silver heart shaped locket on a silver rope chain lay on a backing of velvet. When she opened the locket, she found a picture of Priss, Linna, Sylia, Mackie and herself in it.
"Ohhhh... it's beautiful, Mackie. Thank you!" Nene threw her arms around the younger Stingray. He hesitated only a nano second before returning the hug.
"Come on, Nene. You have other gifts to open," Priss said. When Nene sat down again, Priss handed her a glass of the spiked punch. "Have a drink, Nene."
"Thanks, Priss." The girl sipped it and then gulped the rest of it down. She held here glass out to Priss. "Could I have some more?"
Priss grinned and refilled the cup.
The party progressed easily until Nene came to the last gift. It was a flat box, wrapped in silver paper and tied with a gold ribbon. The tag said it was from Sylia. Nene undid the ribbon and tore off the paper. At this point, Nene had had about five cups of the spiked punch.
"SWISS CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!"
"NANI????!!!!" was the group response.
"Sylia! How could you?" Ash cried. "I can understand Priss spiking the punch, but did you have to get Nene chocolate candy?"
"Leon, we need to evacuate the building," said Daley. "Now."
"What are you talking about?" asked Sylia, looking around. "What's wrong with a box of chocolates?"
"That!" wailed Ash.
"Hehehehee. Chocolate! Hehehehee!" Half the box of candy was gone and Nene was getting the glazed look again.
It took Ash, Linna, Priss, Mackie, Leon and Daley to get the box away from Nene and get her in Sylia's car.
"So what do we do with her now?" asked Linna.
"Let's drop her off at Genom," Leon suggested. It was seconded by Priss.
"Then we won't have so many problems with Boomers," she said.
Sylia frowned and said, "I'll take her home with me. She can use the spare room And I can take her to her apartment tomorrow morning."
"I'm just glad she has tomorrow off," Leon said as he walked over to his motorcycle. "I would hate to hear the aftermath of that hangover."
"Are you sure you can handle Nene by yourself, Mackie?" Sylia asked as she held the door for them.
"Yeah. No problem. You go ahead and do what you need to." Mackie was half carrying, half dragging Nene through the apartment. "I'll just put her to bed, turn out the lights and close the door. And I promise not to do anything. You've already confiscated my cameras anyway."
His sister smiled and walked to her room. Sylia trusted her brother not to harm Nene. But it might be a good idea to check up on her friend later that night.
Mackie had succeeded in getting Nene into bed and was just about to pull the covers over her shoulders when a small hand reached up and snagged the collar of his shirt. Mackie found that size has nothing to do with strength as Nene pulled him down on top of her. Her lips pressed against his as Nene's other hand snaked behind his head.
Mackie reluctantly broke the kiss. "Nene. You're drunk and you'll hate me tomorrow if I let this go on."
Nene looked up at him, undid the buttons on her blouse and said, "You know, Mackie, I have a lot to teach you in a short time, so shut up and get down here."
That night, Mackie learned just how much Nene knew.
19 July
Today I had breakfast at Sylia's place. She woke me up with a call and said something about bringing a camera. I'm glad I did! Priss and Linna were already there when I got there. Sylia motioned for me to be quiet and led me to the spare room. I believe that the pictures I took then were the best ever. About twenty minutes later, we were eating when a shriek pierced the air...
Ash, Linna, Priss and Sylia were sitting around a table, eating and making small talk when they heard it. Everyone ran into the living room in time to see Mackie come racing out of the guest bedroom with Nene hot on his heals, whacking him with a pillow. Both were as naked as a newborn hairless Rex.
Mackie hid behind his sister as Nene stopped three feet out of the door. She turned dark red as everyone cheered. Priss walked over to Mackie to tease him.
"All right Mackie! I didn't think you had in there to do it. Especially with Nene."
"Priiiiiisssss!" Mackie wailed piteously.
"What did I do?" Nene asked, looking at Sylia.
"Well, I guess you could say that you made a man out of my brother."
"WHAT!!!???"
"Way to go, Nene!" Priss cheered.
"It's okay, Nene, " said Linna. "Sylia says that we can make an exception on rule 10 for you."
Ash looked at Linna and asked, "Rule 10?"
Linna had forgotten Ash and had to come up with a cover story. Before she could, however, Sylia spoke up. "It's a long story, Ash." She looked at Linna and continued, "And for some of us, it's a long running joke. Perhaps I'll tell you about it someday."
Ash simply shrugged. Nene fainted.
